About the Photographs
There is an intentional absence of camera and film information offered here. The camera is, after all, merely a tool. Cameras do not make great photographs, any more than brushes and tubes of acrylics make great paintings. I hold this information back not because it’s a secret, but rather because it is ultimately not very important. When an image is purchased, a certificate is automatically included that has all camera, lens, film, and location information on it.
I use no filters, save an occasional polarizer. Several lenses are used, a lens being merely an angle of view. I am a master printer, and one of the few photographers in the country who does all of his own printing. There are no unusual processes employed in the darkroom, no digital manipulation, very little burning and dodging. I do spend countless hours fussing to assure the best color balance and the perfect print density. The photographs are printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper, the most archival color photographic process available today. This paper, processed in Kodak RA4 chemistry, has a display life in excess of sixty years -– that means sixty years of constant exposure to light. The photographs are signed editions limited to 100 or 250.
It is my intention to resist digital reproduction of my images as long as processing chemistry is available. Photoshop is a fine tool, but I feel that the digital world is perhaps not to be confused with actual photography. Know that each of my photographs was printed from the original negative, in a darkroom, by the artist. It is a source of pride for me that the colors and the light qualities you appreciate in an image of mine, is exactly what I experienced while composing the photograph.
When you purchase one of my photographs, it comes with a lifetime guarantee (yours or mine, whichever comes first) against technical defects and fading. If you ever experience a problem, I will gladly fix it.
Presentation and Framing
All print sizes 16x20 and larger are available in a Laminated Glassless format. In fact, the larger two are only available this way. This is a very clean look, without any of the problems that glass presents. And, no reflected glare, ever ! The print is mounted on ¾” Gatorboard, then protected by a UV inhibiting laminate that also acts as a protective coating for fingerprints, fly specs, etc. It can be cleaned with a moist cloth. A thin wood frame, usually black, surrounds the laminated image, giving it a thin visual border, and a slight shadow-box effect. Of course, traditional matting and framing is available also for these laminated images, but still, no glass.
Subtle, tasteful, and complementary is my approach to Traditional Framing. The top mat is not brilliant white, but rather an off-white, not quite gray. It is either black core or rag, both being acid free. The 25 x 32 and 30 x 40 sizes have a narrow accent color under the top mat. This mat is chosen to complement the image. All of my photographs are “floated” on the mount board, meaning that the edge of the photo is visible. A small amount of the mount board is visible, so visually there is a double and triple mat look.
I prefer a frame to be a quiet, visual border between the mat and the wall. Complementary, quiet, not noticed for the most part. Frames of all in this traditional framing group are Nielsen profile 15. It is an understated frame, made of the finest aluminum extrusion, and anodized with a brushed finish. Several subtle colors are used, and they are chosen to complement the image. Non-glare or reflective glass is chosen, depending on the image. You are encouraged to specify if you have a preference.
It is understood that description is not perfect, and that many people have personal preferences regarding matting and framing. You are encouraged to pick up the telephone and discuss presentation of your image with me. Use the 800-number and leave a message. I will respond within a day or two.
About the Artist
The mind boggling beauty to be found in this country is a constant source of amazement and awe for me. In the natural world, compositions with aesthetic and emotive appeal can be found in most places, if one is looking with an artist’s eye. I find photography to be a most direct medium for sharing a way of seeing. Unlike other artistic media, the photograph records only what is actually there, and an extraordinary visual result creates for me a particular satisfaction precisely because of the absence of embellishment. The camera is a framed canvas of infinitely variable size, which allows me to share my personal vision of natural events.
I graduated from San Jose State University in 1973 with an BFA in ceramic art, and have been working exclusively with the camera for over forty years. My work has been shown throughout the United States, and much of Europe.
The works you see here result from a combination of technical competence, twenty years of experience, and hard work. I have trained myself over the years to see well, and to get myself to extraordinary places at the right time of day, with the appropriate film for the effects I want to create. I take unusual measures to assure a sharp, properly exposed negative, and I am in control of the process from beginning to end.
Though my formal art education was in a three-dimensional media, a strong sense of composition in two dimensions is apparent in my work. The images follow three major stylistic directions, of course with considerable overlap: the Abstracts are studies in form, light, and color of natural features; the Minimalist Landscapes tend to be stark, dramatic, and simple; the Impressions are soft, emotive, often shot on a foggy day. What ties the images together is that they are unusual, and they are composed and executed in a painterly fashion. Among the things I hope are apparent to the viewer is my deep respect and reverence for the phenomena of our natural environment.
